Market Report, "Cigarettes in Latvia", Published
Retail volume sales of legal cigarettes declined in 2012, mainly due to increases in specific excise tax and the subsequent renewed preference for illicit cigarettes. A tendency among smokers to switch to RYO tobacco was also observed in 2012, adding extra negative pressure on cigarette volumes. The drop in legally-traded cigarettes volumes contrasted with the significant improvement witnessed in 2011, when higher purchasing power enabled many Latvian buyers to return to legal cigarettes.
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